"I almost died like five or six times" - Stephon Marbury recounts a wild tale about the cold in Minnesota

Minnesota is renowned for its harsh winters, ranking among the coldest states in the United States. This extreme climate presents several challenges, including hazardous driving conditions.

Stephon Marbury can certainly attest to this. The former T-Wolves player recently recounted how he narrowly avoided a car accident on the icy roads, and not just once.

“Second year come, I have so many incidents. I almost died like five or six times. Like, I'm driving over a bridge, I hit black ice, I spin out, and no cars coming. I'm in a car looking both ways, just praying like, ‘Thank you, God, no cars were coming, you know,’” recounted Marbury on the latest episode of ‘7PM in Brooklyn.’

Great first season with the T-Wolves

In the 1996 NBA Draft, the former high school and college standout Marbury was selected 4th overall by the Timberwolves , where he teamed up with fellow rising star Kevin Garnett. The two had already connected earlier.

"We talked about playing with each other, we talked about us winning championships,” remarked Steph. “When I went to Minnesota, I was so happy to go there to be playing with him and to be hooping with somebody who I spoke with."

Their on-court chemistry quickly became evident as point guard Marbury and big man Garnett formed a congenial duo in their first season together. Initial success followed, as 'Starbury' fondly recalled.

"We make it to the playoffs the first time in franchise history. They never made it to the playoffs before...we rollin’, me and KG, we ballin’," he emphasized.

Marbury's culture shock

Steph recalled that his initial time in Minnesota occurred during the summer "after the Draft" when everything was still "beautiful" and "nice" outside. However, by his second year, as the retired player put it, "things started to change."

"I'm 19 years old, and I'm living where there are 6% black people, and it snows. There are 10,000 lakes, and it's cold - like 40 below - every day in the wintertime. There's Black Ice, and there are so many different challenges,” Marbury remarked.

‘Coney Island’s Finest’ found adapting very challenging, citing his vastly different past life experiences as the main reason.

"I grew up in a melting pot in New York, where it's Black, White, Chinese, Puerto Rican - all different types of people that I grew up with, ” he said. “ And then I left, I went to school in Atlanta, where it's predominantly black people…And now, I've left school and moved to Minnesota, where it's predominantly white people."

Ultimately, 'Starbury' praised his teammates, the community, and the fans at the time, but living in the state simply wasn't the ideal fit for him. As the former All-Star recounted, he consequently approached the franchise owner to request getting traded instead of leaving as a free agent the following offseason.

Steph was then shipped off to the Nets in March 1999 . Nevertheless, in hindsight, he noted that his "love for Minnesota is still the same" and that "nothing changed" in that regard.

Related: "Sit down, you smurf" - When Gary Payton annihilated an opposing assistant coach with his one-liner